Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite: How We Made it a Hot Street Car

[@peterpowder8546]

I have one. 1275 supercharger with LCB header supercharger head from UK, 1.5 ratio rockers. Bags of torque! 4 wheel disc brakes with 4 pot front caliper and brake booster. Rear panhard rod and 5/8 roll bar with all upgraded lever shocks. Still has stock rib cage tranny but with 3.73 axle. Lovely car 👍🙏

[@tonycamplin8607]

Peterpowder8546 Please could you explain what "rib cage tranny" is? It isn't something that I've ever heard of in the UK.

[@CefaCat]

Sounds fabulous

[@jamesduncan578]

I had a 67 Sprite/Midget in the mid 70's, absolute joy to drive and easy to maintain. It was my favorite car, right behind the 73 240Z.

[@alastairwatson3201]

I enjoyed watching the build. You’ve done a fabulous job, creating a truly brilliant car. Well done!

[@timothydunn5889]

Bought my 1960 white Bugeye in June 1970. Traded up to a Mk III by 1974. By June 2020 I was back in a white sports car; a 2017 ND Miata/MX5. Some things never change. Excellent restomod. I am a little bit jealous of your skills.👍🇦🇺.

[@tomcrosby6332]

I thought somebody, (like you) should make a Miata bugeye kit.

[@timothydunn5889]

@@tomcrosby6332 Ohh, now THERE's an idea. Well done that man.👍👍👍🇦🇺

[@timsuddard6502]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@dansalinas2322]

Sweet looking build! I restored two bugeye's several years ago before having a family. Now, they have grown, I am looking forward to finding a bugeye, and restoring it.

[@barryandjenny1]

Loved it..... Brings back some good memories I am now eighty two...I have never owned a Sprite, but my first girlfriend did, wanted one ever since.... The car that is... The girlfriend is long forgotten !

[@user-gc1zn5mn4p]

Tim, hier ist Steffen. I followed this resto in Classic Motorsports & to my recall it had a lot of interchangeable parts with the MG Midget that I had in college (correct me if I'm wrong). I did a partial resto on my MG but certainly nothing to the level you did--well done.

[@craigwiest772]

Fantastic job. Loved the articles in the magazine and this video too.

[@ClassicMotorsports]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@spearmap]

Frog eye or bug eye is one of those tomato/tomato discussions. Getting back to the car it’s brilliant and great job. BTW we have local MG TDs with Judson superchargers. In today’s world driving in traffic the increased power is appropriate.

[@K777John]

I had a Frogeye when I was in college in late 1960’s early 1970’s-not standard-it was an ex hillclimb car with a 1/2 race 1622 MGA engine-wonderful car once I had fitted front disc brakes and stopped it braking half shafts……..best handling car I have ever owned.

[@RogerEhinger-tg1hv]

Our highschool swimming coach, well over six foot tall, had a little blue Sprite that colour. Pretty funny watching him get in and drive with the top up.

[@ewartwilliams8248]

The frog eye sprit, my first car brings back so many memories. It was BRG with minilite wheels, never had he roof up the whole time I had it.

[@stevedavey9250]

My first car at 16 years old. Orange, of all colors. 1960. Convertible. My girlfriend loved it.

[@rwsams]

Now that is a sweet Bugeye!!! Great job.

[@OlBlueshound]

Nice video and lovely little Sprite. Love the Iris Blue colour and as a spray painter I feel it's always best to go original colour too. I laughed when you said zero to 60 in 6 odd seconds is almost frightening in such a small open car. They really are tiny but oodles of character. Good job on the sprite it looks great.

[@ClassicMotorsports]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@jessphuqette1716]

My buddy has a bugeye with a 12a Mazda motor and 5spd from a RX 7. It's a rocket

[@michaelsorrentino-yp7nb]

I had one back in early 70s. Wish I still had it !!!!

[@annelarrybrunelle3570]

A friend briefly had one, and I rode in it. Once. Get on the expressway and note that you can look slightly UP to the underside of the trailer in the adjacent lane, and you realize you could be run over and the other guy might not even notice. This car makes a Sunbeam Alpine (or a VW Bug) seem big. It is a charmer, in its own way.

[@russbetts1467]

Over here in the UK, where this originated, it is called the Frogeye Sprite. I always wanted one, but they are now few and far between, because too many were raced and wrecked. The weather here doesn't help, especially if you live near the coast. As a consequence, if you do find one for sale, they are expensive to buy. Great to see you kept the original colour, which wasn't common in the UK. Most of the Frogeye's here were White; Yellow, or British Racing Green. Russ. UK

[@timsuddard6502]

Yes, they came in limited colors and in the UK they were dubbed Frogeyes

[@t590-j3z]

great little cars , handle well , fun to drive, but simple and good shape

[@mundanestuff]

Love my Sprites. Only one is driving, of course, but hopefully in 2025 I have a second on the road.

[@richardspalding3622]

It looks great I remember seeing it when it first came out at a motel show in London .

[@exotica550]

A Guy in Sydney fitted (?) a Jaguar E Type Engine into a Frog Eye Sprite,and called it the Fright!

[@waynegood9233]

I actually rode in one of these with me and two other guys in the Navy in 1969 in May Port Florida

[@arkhsm]

Love it, and love that it has a big power A series under that fun-ky bonnet !!

[@roberthart3305]

That is a gorgeous car!

[@duanewhite3275]

Beautiful car. Congratulations.

[@jonathanwaugh1433]

I had one , 1964 speedwell front end that weighed 35lbs and I built a 1275 w isky racing valve springs and a crazy cam that came on at 5k and pulled to 9k.. Ansi exhaust... Neighbors hated me...

[@tomcrosby6332]

Excellent!! Thanks

[@Afrodizyak47]

In the early 70's my leading hand in the workshop had one' He fitted a 1600 Mitsubishi Galant engine in this and the 5 speed Mitsubishi gear box. The inly modification needed was relocating the opening for the shift lever and because at the time there was not a remote oil filter kit available, the right chassis rail was notched out a little. Fitting the extractors were a bit of challenge and resulted in 2 pipes going on the outside of the steering column and 2 in the inside of it There were/ are heaps of BMC diff centres and ratios and from memory, he used a 2.9 in the rear. It would sit neck and neck with a 351 Ford Falcon GT up to 83 mph, but after that, the Ford walked away. Oh he did stiffen the front springs a little and converted the front to disc brakes, but that was it. The engine dropped straight in without a fuss at all, not like his mate who fitted a Datsun 1600 in his. Though fast, that was a total "b" to do.

[@kevnrob1]

Had a good friend back in the 60s who had one. He wrecked his Corvette so he pulled the small block out of it and put it in his Sprite Man, that thing was scary!!!

[@warthogA10]

I refuse to drive around in a car that's so happy all the time.

[@Slithey7433]

I love this Sprite! I want it!

[@BugeyeBob-zt6ne]

I'm in the process of restoring a 1958 Bugeye. My project is probably a "worst case scenario" of what a restoration project for one of these can be. I'm still in the teardown phase and find new and unusual "nuances" every time I start working on something new... like Whitworth "set pins"... Sometimes I think the damned thing has a personal vendetta against me. I'm trying to include all the bad stuff in my videos, as they are found. Also, a sense of humor helps a lot when restoring any car... you will need it when you make stupid mistakes. Videos on my channel.

[@stevedolesch9241]

I like the 'smiley'.

[@kailuakidd1512]

Great. Thanks

[@motorised1]

Saw one in a classic car magazine that had an e-type trpile webered six in it. Not even sure what they cut to fit it.

[@tonycamplin8607]

It certainly looks a really great car thats had a lot of effort put into it, well done. However its been over restored, the windscreen and cockpit surrounds shouldn't be brightly polished for instance, they look so wrong, that's not how they were made. I appreciate that you Americans like this sort of thing though. I bought my Sprite, a 1958 car, in 1967 and still own her. It's one hundred percent original except that it has carpets fitted. It has the original engine etc. and as such, here in the UK makes it more valuable than a modified one like yours.Really surprised that you weren't wearing a seat belt, they had mounting points for them right from the start and a lot of UK cars always had them in. Good luck and enjoy your car.

[@lescobrandon3047]

Reminded me a little of the AC Cobra transformation into Ford Cobra.

[@rodshop5897]

As an owner of a 71 MG Midget, I'm wondering what size tires are you running, and where did you get them?

[@jonhayden6235]

Nicely done restomod, but why spend all the time, labor and money? A friend and fellow septuagenarian who has a concours TR3 (looks the same factory colour as your Sprite, btw) told me, "It makes me feel like I'm seventeen again when I'm driving it."

[@markcook3570]

Tried to get one of these some years ago but the owner wouldn’t let it go, so I settled on a triumph TR 250

[@clive373]

My first car was a 59 Frog eyed Sprite. Cost £70, and it kept me very busy fixing bits.

[@brianturner8477]

My 2023 lt1 Camaro also smiles🏎️

[@williambarry8015]

That thing is perfect.

[@Krunch2020]

I got spooked driving old cars in modern traffic. Everyone is on their phones.

[@rodshop5897]

Very true. We have a 71 Midget, and I am always trying to be aware of other drivers and what they might do next. It's not a safe car by any measure, so I think of it like riding a motorcycle.

[@tettazwo9865]

Nice!

[@janofb]

Used to date a woman who had one back in the 80's. I took it whenever I could. It's a gas to drive and he's right, EVERYBODY loves it.

[@Auggies1956]

Had a 61 in 69' sorry I sold it. But then in traffic, they couldn't see me and I had a few near misses more than I wanted to deal with. The reason why I sold it.

[@kevinwest3689]

I've always wanted to do one with an ford turbo coup Driveline or svo Four cylinder turbo. That said, how cool would it be with a large street bike engine! 🤤

[@ed713ca]

i am a fan of tiny English cars Nice .

[@richardautenzio8117]

You have done a great job on this Sprite. But why do you call it a street car, have they removed the speed on your streets where you live?

[@resomony]

Cheap to buy?

[@mtacoustic1]

Has anyone put a Mazda rotary into a Bugeye?

[@walterpeterson-hj1bk]

Yep, 12 A, complete RX7 driveline, Webber 5 speed, big brakes, side exhaust, street legal.

[@lasalleman6792]

Saw one once had a small block 283 Chevrolet V8. Very fast. Dangerous too, I think.

[@johndillon8051]

My uncle did that to one in the late 1960s. He had a different hood/fenders that someone made from fiberglass. He had to enlarge the transmission tunnel, and there was barely any legroom on the passenger side. God, was it fast! He drove it from where he lived in California to Nebraska and Iowa to visit family, and that's how ten year old me got a ride in it.

[@lasalleman6792]

@@johndillon8051 The build I read about years ago had a reinforced frame and a shortened heavy duty axle. Otherwise mostly stock except for engine and transmtransmission. Scary fast.

[@jimcook8933]

In the words of John Lennon. " Imagine no more road rage. It's easy if you try"!

[@mtacoustic1]

Hmmmm - a Honda 2,000 cc V-Tech + 6-speed trans in this car would be interesting....

[@davidpeters6536]

Not so much fun on a wet January afternoon in the north of England.

[@badmoon5249]

It’s too bad AH “modernized” these in the 60’s and destroyed the charm of the original.

[@paulkube3901]

Simple project car? Yep. Start by getting rid of anything marked by Smith's, Lucas, Girling or SU. ;)

[@netfoot]

It's FROG-eye Sprite, mate!

[@paulwhite7475]

Its aluminium and sol -der too but hey what can you do ?

[@timsuddard6502]

In the U.S. we call them Bugeyes.

[@bruceh92]

Cutest car ever. But cool.

[@albertiokunthydias6506]

Bonjour Jensen lee je suis teixeira Alberto j'aimerais bien te parler pourrai tu venir en France

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

Where mentioning "hundreds of thousands built",... Maybe 100,000 total 😂

[@lapisredux]

Frog eye

[@garychilds1130]

It's got a lot of gots

[@joe-hp4nk]

That thing is a coffin. They're going to bury you in it.

[@williamchen5915]

I owned a Bugeye Sprite in the early '60s. They were called "Bugeye", not "Frogeye". Mine was a '59 and was my first sports car, and the British did/do not know how to manufacture sports cars.

[@5vete]

FROGEYE.

[@PaulMullen-v7t]

The correct name for the vehicle is a Frog eyed sprite, changing the name doesn't make it a new variant and changing the vehicle radically is not the sprite in any form.

[@stuwhite2337]

It's a frogeye sprite, not a bugeye. Good job though

[@3ducs]

Depending on where you're from. Here in the US, where the majority were sold, they're Bugeyes. The US market saved the British auto industry, for a time.

[@blxtothis]

It’s never been called a “Bugeye” it’s always been nicknamed a Frogeye ever since inception and before it was exported .